By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 23 August 2017

(picture source)

United States Federal Courts have issued a series of rulings related to the support the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad has given to the Islamic State (IS) movement. The rulings relate to the murder of Americans by IS, which could only be accomplished because of the Assad regime’s assistance.

The cases are:

Francis Gates, et al. v. Syrian Arab Republic, et al. (26 September 2008): brought by the families of Eugene “Jack” Armstrong and Jack Hensley, who were kidnapped and beheaded on video by IS in September 2004.

Nadira Thuneibat, et al. v Syrian Arab Republic, et al. (1 March 2016): brought on behalf of Lina Mansoor Thuneibat (who was 9-years-old at the time) and Mousab Ahmad Khorma, who were murdered in the hotel bombings in Amman in November 2005.

Virginia L. Foley, et al. v. Syrian Arab Republic, et al. (13 April 2017):  brought by the families of USAID Amb. Laurence Foley (assassinated in Jordan by IS in 2002), Staff Sgt. Keith Maupin (kidnapped and murdered by IS in 2004), and Pvt. Kristian Menchaca (kidnapped and murdered by IS in 2006).

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A fourth case was filed in a U.S. court against the Assad regime on 11 July 2018 by the family of James Foley, who was murdered on video by the Islamic State in August 2014. The criminal complaint for the case, Diane Maria Foley et al. v. Syrian Arab Republic, can be read here.